Personal bankruptcy filings in Rochester increasing

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Jul 19, 2005 by Staff

The total number of personal bankruptcies filed in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Rochester Area of the Western District of New York, increased by 18 percent through the second quarter of 2005. In fact, almost all of the counties in the Rochester area saw an increase in the number of filings compared to the same period last year.

Part of the increases we're seeing is due to provisions of the new bankruptcy law that will take effect this Oct. 17, said Jeffrey Freedman, senior partner, Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys at Law. Many people are still facing economic and health issues. However, the new bankruptcy law looming on the horizon which will make filing harder for some is clearly a driving force behind the current increases.

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 is going to make more debts nondischargeable and will force more debtors into Chapter 13 instead of Chapter 7. It will also require debtors to go to credit counseling before and after filing bankruptcy.

Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys at Law has 15 offices throughout Western New York handling bankruptcy, social security disability and personal injury cases. The firm, founded in 1980, employs 60 professionals.